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Nanaimo, Parksville and Area

rent rates
Nanaimo remains among dwindling number of cities with increasing rents
NANAIMO - The tide appears to be turning for renters nationwide, with the Harbour City lagging behind much of the country. Rentals.ca published their May 2026 National Rent Report, showing a 4.7 per cent year-over-year rent reduction nationwide, boosted by a 6.1 per cent average reduction in B.C., the second biggest dr...
May 08, 2026
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cancer fundraiser
'One of my bucket list items:' Nanaimo RCMP rider lining up for 2026 Tour de Rock
NANAIMO - Cst. Josh Waltman acknowledges the training is difficult, but his struggles on two wheels are nothing compared to kids battling severe illness and the impact on their families. Waltman, a mental health liaison officer with the Nanaimo RCMP, was officially announced as one of the riders for the 2026 Tour de Ro...
May 08, 2026
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Jesse's House
Steady donations for 'home away from home' beside Nanaimo hospital
NANAIMO - Following last fall's ground-breaking ceremony with $7 million already in the bank, over $1 million has since materialized for a vital pending amenity. Construction crews have made significant progress and so have Children's Health Foundation of Vancouver Island (CHFVI) representatives in raising money for Je...
May 08, 2026
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WHL Prospects Draft
Nanaimo's Ronan Gow selected by Lethbridge Hurricanes
NANAIMO - Following uncertainty leading up to the Western Hockey League Prospects Draft, a local talent now has more clarity about his future. Ronan Gow, a 15-year-old centre from Delta Hockey Academy's U15 Prep team, was selected in the third round, 50th overall, by the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Thursday, May 7. Shortl...
May 07, 2026
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sidewalk safety
$1.25M in pedestrian upgrades coming to Parksville's Alberni Hwy.
PARKSVILLE - Major pedestrian improvements are coming to city's main entrance off the Alberni Hwy. A tender worth $1,251,305 was recently awarded to In the Dirt Contracting Ltd. to do major sidewalk and pedestrian safety work along the Alberni Hwy. from Bernard Ave. to Lee Ave. Speaking at the Monday, May 4 council mee...
May 07, 2026
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multiple busts
Oceanside man sentenced for possessing over 12,000 child sex abuse images
Editors' note: this story contains details of graphic sexual abuse against children. Reader discretion is advised.NANAIMO - An Oceanside man will spend the next 10 months behind bars after pleading guilty to possessing thousands of images of children as young as five years old being violently sexually abused. Christoph...
May 07, 2026
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British Columbia

Final debate held for B.C. Conservative leadership hopefuls
BURNABY - The five candidates running for the leadership of the Opposition B.C. Conservatives have faced off for their final debate, capping off a campaign dominated by disputes over their ideological credentials. The 90-minute debate between candidate...
May 09, 2026
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B.C. draining water off Old Fort landslide, no word when evacuation order may lift
FORT ST. JOHN - British Columbia's Ministry of Transportation says workers have started draining water from a landslide in the province's northeast that has forced residents out of their homes for weeks. An update on the slide blocking the road into Ol...
May 08, 2026
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Police identify suspects in alleged haunted house attack on boy, 8, in Surrey B.C.
SURREY - Police in Surrey, B.C., say they have identified two suspects in an alleged attack on an eight-year-old boy in a haunted house attraction during the city's Khalsa Day celebrations. Surrey police did not release details on the two male suspects...
May 08, 2026
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Smith sees progress on pipeline deal with Ottawa after Carney meeting
OTTAWA - Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday she was feeling far more confident about the prospects for a new pipeline following a meeting in Ottawa with Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier in the day. "This morning I said 'if' a deal gets signed...
May 08, 2026
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Four-day strike vote begins in B.C. nurses' labour dispute with province
BURNABY - British Columbia nurses have begun a strike vote in their labour dispute with the province, the union representing them said Friday. A statement from the BC Nurses' Union said members of its bargaining association have been asked to cast thei...
May 08, 2026
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Victoria police chief vows transparency as constable is charged with sexual assault
VICTORIA - Victoria's police chief has announced that one of her department's constables has been charged with sexual assault, saying she believed in transparency because such an incident could "shake the public's trust." Chief Constable Fiona Wilson s...
May 08, 2026
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Canada

Bill to help authorities probe online activities raises widespread privacy fears
OTTAWA - A Liberal government bill that would make it easier for police and spies to navigate the online world is running into fierce opposition from major digital companies, civil liberties groups and law professors who say it would open the door to s...
1h ago
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Bleu, blanc, rouge dominates skyline as Habs fever grips Montreal
MONTREAL - Some of Montreal's best-known landmarks are glowing red, white, and blue - a sign that NHL playoff fever has firmly taken hold across the city. From downtown skyscrapers to the island park in the St. Lawrence River, the official colours of ...
1h ago
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Baltic, Nordic officials urge Canadians to learn from the Russian threats they face
OTTAWA - European officials are warning that Russia's meddling in the Baltic Sea is likely a preview of tactics Moscow could someday deploy in Canada's High North. A recent panel discussion in Ottawa hosted by the Polish embassy touched on how Estonia,...
1h ago
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Canadians on virus-stricken ship set to disembark
Canadians on board the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship will soon begin disembarking after the vessel docked this morning at the port city of Tenerife. The MV Hondius arrived just after 6 a.m., local time, in the Canary Islands, Spain. The ship's owner,...
3h ago
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Prime Minister Mark Carney touts Canadian values in speech at global progress summit
TORONTO - Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada needs to build new institutions and reimagine old ones as an antidote to the anxieties that people and governments are grappling with in the modern age. Carney made the remarks in a speech Saturday that ...
14h ago
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Quebec rolling out digital health dashboard pilot project to reduce paperwork
MONTRÉAL - Quebec has rolled out its digital health dashboard pilot project on Saturday despite criticism over security breaches and technical issues. The system, which was first introduced in Montreal and Mauricie at 4 a.m, is meant to replace faxes,...
16h ago
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